Inspection device



May 29, 1934. T. B. smms INSPECTION DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet, 1

Filed March 24, 1933 ill I n I my my I HHIIWIH gvwe/wk c Terry 5. 5252121725,

Patented May 29, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to an inspection table for use in banks, oflices, insurance companies and various other financial and similar institutions.

In banks, insurance and other ofiices, it some- 5 times happens that all enclosures are not removed from envelopes, and sometimes, when all enclosures are removed from envelopes, certain papers are not removed from between folded papers.

The result is that at times valuable papers are lost. Through inadvertence or accident valuable papers are thrown into waste baskets, confined within open envelopes or between folded papers and these valuable papers are finally destroyed or lost and the oversight is not discovered until too late to retrieve the same. oftentimes these mishaps or accidents result in loss of valuable papers, some of a nature for which duplicates cannot be issued. Mistakes of the character mentioned cause embarrassment to oflicers of institutions and in the eyes of the public there is likely to happen a lack of confidence in the institution or establishment in which the seeming negligence has occurred. Considerable annoyance, loss of time, Worry, inconvenience and expense generally follows the loss of papers in bank, insurance and similar institutions.

It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an inspection table adapted to receive waste paper from waste baskets and other sources, and possessing such characteristics that envelopes and other papers may be readily cleaned and separatedfrom trash, such as burned match stems, cigarette stumps, pins, et cetera, and subsequently subjected to ready and convenient accurate scrutiny so as to enable bank checks, bank notes, bonds, stock certificates, drafts, deposit slips, receipts, money, deeds and other valuable papers accidentally or through inadvertence or carelessness left in envelopes or waste paper, to be readily detected and removed from the waste paper before the waste paper is baled or discarded.

Another object of the invention is to provide an inspection table embodying among other characteristics, means whereby Waste or other papers may be conveniently subjected to a strong light to enable one to readily ascertain whether an envelope or folded or partially folded paper contains an enclosure which should have been removed and saved, but which through carelessness or inadvertence was permitted to find its way into the collection of waste papers to be discarded.

It is also an object of the present invention to in any other manner becoming mixed with the provide an inspection table adapted to receive the contents of a waste basket or other receptacle and equipped with means for enabling the waste material after inspection to be readily directed into a receptacle for disposal. 66

It is still further designed to provide means for enabling the separation of papers and foreign matter with the foreign matter readily deposited out of sight and the papers readily positioned for subjection to light to enable one to determine whether the waste paper contains paper or articies of value not to be destroyed with the waste paper.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details 7:: of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings: 30

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an inspection table constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the inspection table.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3, withthe glass and screen removed.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the line V 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional view on the line 7'7 of Fig. 3.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one embodiment of the invention, illustrated for purposes of disclosing the invention, it will be seen that the inspection device of the present invention embodies in its construction a table including a top 1, legs 2 and 3 and provided with side members 4 having enlargements which form the side walls 5 of a trash compartment 6.

The trash compartment 6 is composed of the vertical side walls formed by the aforesaid enlargements, a horizontal bottom 7, an inclined Wall 8 and a door 9 connected at its lower edge with the bottom by suitable hinges 10. The door may be of any suitable construction and it may be hinged or otherwise mounted as may be desired. Any suitable means may be provided for retaining the door in closed position and as shown it is adapted to swing downwardly to permit the trash to be readily removed from the trash receptacle 6.

Mounted upon the table at one end thereof is a downwardly tapering hopper 11 composed of vertical side walls 12, a vertical outer wall 13 and an inclined wall 14 which extends upwardly to a short vertical wall extension 15 located at the mouth of the hopper and which also terminates short of the bottom of the hopper to provide an opening 14' for the passage of material from the hopper on to the top of the table.

The hopper is adapted to receive waste paper and the like from any source and the waste pa per and other trash, such as burned matches, cigarette stumps, pins, et cetera, may be placed in the hopper and as it feeds downwardly through the hopper the trash will become separated from the waste paper, such as envelopes and folded papers, by means of a horizontal screen 16 which forms the top wall of the trash receptacle 6 and the bottom wall of the hopper, as clearly illustrated particularly in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This screen 16 is of a mesh calculated to permit the effective separation of the trash from the waste paper, that is, the openings in the mesh of the screen are of sufficient size to permit burned matches, cigarette stumps, pins, et cetera, to readily fall through the screen into the trash receptacle.

The side walls 12 of the hopper are provided at the bottom with horizontal inwardly projecting wall extensions 1'7, forming guides for the waste paper and adapted to assist in retaining the waste paper on the extension table as the waste paper is drawn or fed by hand from the hopper through the opening 14 between the guides 1'7 on to the table proper.

The wall extension 1? also assists in confining the trash over the screen 16 so as to cause all of the trash to pass through the screen and be separated from the waste paper before the waste paper is finally removed from the screen.

The table top 1 is provided with a relatively narrow longitudinal opening 18 having relatively large rectangular end portions 19 and 20. The opening 18 and the edges of the top of the table at the said openings 19 and 20 are preferably recessed at the upper face of the table top to form supporting ledges 22 for the screen 16 and for a plate 23 of glass or other suitable transparent material which includes a narrow integral or separate extension 2'? and which constitutes a transparent portion or section of the table top. The screen 16 and the transparent plate or panel 23 may be secured on the supporting ledges 22 in any suitable manner and as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 it will be seen that the outer end of the narrow extension 27 of the transparent plate meets or abuts the inner edge of the screen 16.

A reflector 24 is located beneath the table top a and suitably secured thereto in any suitable manner. This reflector 24 consists of a bowl havin a rectangular marginal portion 25 and it is provided with an approximately semi-cylindrical extension 26 which is located below the narrow intermediate portion 13 of the aforesaid opening in the top of the table or, in other words, this semi-cylindrical extension 26 extends throughout the length of the extension 27 of the transparent plate and it will be understood that both the reflector and the inner surface of the extension 26 are highly polished for reflecting purposes to insure an effective reflection of light through the transparent plate 23-27.

Suitable illuminating means, preferably a powerful electric light 28 is located within the reflector bowl and which may derive its light from the usual electric lighting source. The reflector is adapted to throw a strong light through the transparent panel 23 and its extension 2'7 and also into the trash receptacle 6 through the opening 6' in the front wall 8 of the trash receptacle. Thus a person using the inspection table is enabled to readily see through paper passed over the transparent panel 23-27 and thereby enabled to detect any valuable papers which may have become accidentally left in an envelope or similar receptacle or which may otherwise have become mixed with the waste paper and by virtue of the connection 26 bet veen the bowl and the trash receptacle and the light transmitted thereby to the trash receptacle through the aforesaid opening 6' the contents of the latter may be readily viewed by the operator through the screen 16 and at times through the opening closed by the door 9 when the latter is open.

The inclined wall 8 of the trash receptacle 6 is adapted to direct the trash towards the front or upper end of the trash receptacle and thereby facilitate the ready removal of the trash from the receptacle.

The table top is provided at opposite sides with guides 29 composed of parallel inner members 30 and converging outer portions 31 and adapted to prevent paper from sliding off the sides of the table at the discharge end thereof and form convenient means for directing the paper into a receptacle (not shown) designed to be placed at the discharge end of the table.

In practice, the waste paper which frequently contains trash is deposited in the hopper and the paper is passed over the transparent panel to subject the same to the action of the light to detect whether any money or valuable papers have been accidentally placed in the waste baskets or other receptacles for the reception of waste material and the paper deposited in the hopper is passed over the transparent panel and is thereby separated from the trash which falls through the screen into the trash receptacle. The inspection table forms a convenient inspecting device for enabling paper to be rapidly and accurately scrutinized and by its use it will effectually prevent bank checks, money and other valuable papers from being accidentally or carelessly lost in waste paper.

It will be understood that in addition to saving the loss of the valuable papers mentioned that other valuable papers may be saved from accidental destruction and that if there should be memorandum written or otherwise placed on the back of a letter or other paper that same will be discovered in the passage of the paper over the inspection table.

What is claimed is:

1. An inspection device of the character described comprising a table provided in its top with an opening, a trash receptacle located below one end of the said opening, a screen mounted on the table top and arranged in the said opening above the trash receptacle, a hopper I mounted on the table and located above the said screen and through the screen effecting communication between the trash receptacle and the hopper, said hopper having an opening in a side wall over the table, a transparent panel also arranged over the top opening of the table, a reflector arranged beneath the table top opening and provided with an extension extending along the transparent panel to the trash receptacle to an opening in a wall thereof, and illuminating means contained within the reflector and adapted to illuminate both the panel and the trash receptacle.

2. An inspection device of the character described comprising a table provided in its top with a longitudinal opening having relatively large end portions and a narrow intermediate portion, a screen mounted upon the table top at one of the end portions of the said opening, a transparent panel mounted on the said table top and covering the other end portion and the intermediate portion of the said opening, a trash receptacle located below the screen and provided in one of its walls with an opening to permit passage of light to the interior of the trash receptacle, a reflector arranged below the transparent panel and having an approximately semicylindrical portion extending along the intermediate portion of the opening to the trash receptacle to the said opening of the trash receptacle, a hopper mounted upon the table above the screen for discharging trash into the trash receptacle, and illuminating means for the reflector.

3. An inspection device of the character described comprising a table provided in its top with a longitudinal opening having relatively large end portions and a narrow intermediate portion, a screen mounted upon the table top at one of the end portions of the said opening, a transparent panel mounted on the said table top and covering the other end portion and the intermediate portion of the said opening, a'trash receptacle located below the screen, a reflector arranged below the transparent panel and having an approximately semi-cylindrical portion extending along the intermediate portion of the opening to and through one wall of the trash receptacle, a hopper mounted upon the table above the trash receptacle and extending upwardly from and partially surrounding the screen and having an inclined wall spaced from the table top to form an outlet opening to permit removal of waste paper from the hopper, said hopper being provided below the inclined wall with wall extensions located at opposite sides of the said screen and at opposite sides of the outlet opening of the hopper, and illuminating means contained in the reflector.

4. An inspection device for preventing loss of valuable negotiable or other papers handled by banks, insurance and other ofiices, comprising a table provided at its top with a transparent panel and with an opening, a fixed screen over the opening for separating trash, paper fasteners, pins and the like from the paper, a trash receptacle secured to and depending from the underside of the top of the table beneath said screen to receive waste material through the screen, a hopper fixedly supported directly upon the table above said screen and forming an enclosure around the screen, the inner end wall of the hopper having an outlet opening, the lower wall of which is formed by the table and which opening opens in a direction longitudinally of the table in the direction of the transparent panel to permit ready manual movement of papers or other instruments from the hopper through the opening in the inner wall of the hopper onto and over the transparent panel for inspection, and means for illuminating the transparent panel to facilitate inspection of papers placed thereon.

TERRY B. SIMMS. 

